Reckless
by Mildimagination
Summary: A young fourteen year old, Clyde, has never been used to living on his own until now. Stuck in a world filled with corpses walking around, he has to mature quickly and try to survive. OCxCarl AU R&R. First fanfiction ever.
1. Chapter 1

Cool summers breeze wasn't normal; it was normally so hot, you could practically smell the skin burning with every person that passed along the narrow street pavements with their stench from the sweat that came with every summer. The narrow shade from a nearby tree would be heavenly if it wasn't already losing it's leafs showing the vital signs of autumn. Normal people wouldn't notice this, but he wasn't entirely normal. He was observant, picking out every little detail and judging it negatively would be his strongest point in life, along with the fascination of old books and music. At the present moment he was perched under the old oak tree that would possibly be older than his grandmother, maybe even older. This grand tree was settled next to a loud play park where younger children maybe even children his age would be playing after a long day of education. Sliding into a more comfortable position, his legs lying down in the freshly cut grass, his backpack balancing on his right thigh and his hands grasping tightly to a book.

"H-Hello." A small girl appeared behind his book, her hands behind her back rocking back and forth on her heels.

"Hi." He replied, placing his book down onto his lap observing her beauty.

"I-I'm Tess, can I sit next to you?" Her voice squeaked up, her arm moving up from her waist and finding a place against her forehead, rubbing away the sweat from the sunrays.

"Um, sure. Wouldn't want to be hogging all the shade away from everyone else." He muttered, moving along the tree losing the place in his book.

"How come you're not sweating?" Her innocent voice would emerge from her throat making him jump a little as she sat down next to him.

"I'm sitting under the tree, and I haven't been running around in the sun.." He muttered these words trying to remember his page from his book, flipping page by page.

"Ah, see you're a genius." Replying rather quickly, she seemed to be panting like a dog who's just been out running after a ball.

"Do you need some water? I carry a spare bottle in my bag." His voice would startle Tess a little, a result in her coughing frantically and her head jolting back and forth.

His left hand moved from the bottom page of his book and be placed onto the zipper of the black backpack resting on his thigh. He began to slide down the zipper of the backpack which would then reveal the full bottle of liquid contained in a bottle, before he could even make out a word, she had taken it out of his grasp and was glugging that water down faster than he's ever seen, removing the bottle from her lips Tess let out a sigh of relief.

"I never really caught your name." Her innocent voice would begin to lower into a more casual tone rather than a high pitched squeak.

"It's Clyde." He mused this whilst sliding his book back into the black backpack and removing another bottle of cold water, placing it onto his pale lips.

"Like Bonnie and Clyde?" Her casual tone would whisper in his left ear

"Ha-ha, yeah. My mom's pretty much of a history freak and as for my dad, well, he's a cunt."

His right grasping tightly along the bottom of the bottle lifting it to his mouth.

"Hah, I can relate to that. So, Clyde. How old are you?" Her hand would begin to fiddle with her hair, twirling it around her index finger.

"Fourteen, it isn't the exact age you want to be but it's alright." He shrugged his shoulders, darting his eyes to what appeared to be a drunken man staggering around the other side of the road, trying to chase the pigeons.

"You're kidding me, aren't you?" Twirling her dark brown hair faster around her index finger. "I'm the exact age."

"Whoa, what a coincidence." He scoffed this, trying hard to act surprised when he kind of guessed it.

"Thanks for the bottle of water, I really needed it."

"No problem, I'm glad I could help." He shrugged his shoulders letting out a small sigh turning his head in her direction and giving a small smile.

"You know, you should smile more often." She said, her grin bigger than a Cheshire cat.

"Tess!" A loud scream would echo throughout the entire play park, repeating it over and over again

"Well, I guess I've got to go. Meet you here tomorrow, after school?" She would say, sliding up the tree bark to her feet.

"Ehm, sure. I'll meet you here as well." His eyes narrowing to her face, watching her expression closely.

"Great." Her voice would begin to sound almost like a squeak, like when he first met her all innocent and sweet, before he could mutter another word she lowered down onto her knees and planted a firm gentle kiss on his cheek then walking off before he could say anything to her.

His eyes widened, a small smirk would grow on his pale face, he couldn't help but feel slightly smitten.

His first kiss, he didn't think it was going to be with a girl he just met, let alone a smart, pretty girl.

Flicking his eyes back to where the drunken man would be settled, he couldn't help but notice the intoxicated fellow was crouching down and appeared unable to get to his feet and covered in some type of dark liquid, maybe blood. Approaching the intoxicated man along the road, placing himself several steps behind him.

"You alright there, buddy?" He asked him this, he would know that if he didn't ask curiosity would take over. "You look like you need hel-" His sentence cut short as the intoxicated man turned around. His milky white eyes meeting up with his own dark brown eyes and letting out a groan his hands reaching for him, causing him to jump backwards staring at the mans hands in freshly covered blood. As the man moved his body, the source of the blood he thought was a pigeon turned out to be a young girl, her blonde hair covered in blood and her chest ripped out, revealing her organs and other thing's that aren't meant to be seen with the human eye. This so called guy was eating her, and he quickly moved backwards her eyes opened revealing milky white pupils and blood shocked vessels around the surrounding pupils. These were no civilians, these were monsters. Moving quickly, he began running for his dear life; leaving his backpack next to the tree. As he left the end of the street more of them monsters were walking about, feasting on other people, people he couldn't help. As more of them were walking about, he took a hasty decision and decided to take the narrow route in the woods to his house, possibly the best idea he's ever made in his entire life.


	2. Chapter II: Child Shenanigans

"Go home kid, the woods is no place for a boy."

A low toned musky voice said, breaking the awkward silence between the silhouette that was a matter of feet away from Clyde.

"What are _you_ doing here then, Robin Hood?" Clyde had quickly spat this back at the silhouette,smirking whilst he watched the silhouette turn around and glare at him.

"I told you never to call me that, kid! Now get home before I put an arrow in your ass!"

"Calm down, Hoodie. I'm only playing and besides, I can't go home because my home is overrun with walkers like everyone else's in the entire group." His eyes yet again met Daryl's own as they both glared at one another. It was as though a staring competition had began to take place between the both of them, although it was only a matter of time until Clyde broke and felt as though he _had_ to laugh at Daryl's 'serious' face.

"This ain't no time for laughing." Daryl's hand clenched tighter around the crossbow that was at his hip. Was this kid for real? Going into hysterical laughter in the middle of the forest? Daryl had to refrain from giving the boy a backhand across the face to shut him up. He could lure in walkers, or something!

"I know- I know, but come on dude! I've never been good with staring competitions!" Clyde moved his hand to his face as he tried to hold back the laughter.

Daryl let out a grunt before turning his back to Clyde and continuing to walk down what Clyde's mother would call a beautiful scenery. Clyde knew that if he were to stay put and stare at the scenery, he would no doubt be left behind and as a result he quickly took on after the elder redneck, his eyes looking around in search.

"So, what are we hunting?" Clyde spoke out of breath as he trailed behind the redneck in front of him.

"No, _I'm_ hunting. You're going to go back to the camp like the good lil' boy you are."

"I ain't no good lil' boy! I'm a man, Daryl."

As Daryl climbed over a fallen tree, he sent Clyde a glare over his shoulder.

"Keep your voice down, would you? You're gonna scare away dinner."

Clyde frowned, his eyes averting down to look at his feet. Coming up to the tree, Clyde pulled himself up and slipped down the other side.

"What's the ideal catch of the day anyway, _Robin_?"

"Anythin' with meat on it, kid. Now, stop callin' me that."

Daryl always spoke harshly towards Clyde. He couldn't complain, really. At least it was less harsher than the way Daryl spoke to Shane, you could tell Daryl didn't like Shane just by the way he looked at him. It was almost as if Daryl wanted to get rid of Shane there and then, but there was no doubt that Daryl could overpower Shane. Infact, Clyde was positive that if Shane didn't know anything about guns he would have been good as dead.

"Hey Daryl, do you plan on making Shane geek bait?" Clyde couldn't help himself from being a little curious about this whole 'gang up on Shane' as far as Clyde knew, Shane was a decent guy who liked kids, well... Liked Carl.

Shane didn't really speak to Clyde that much, maybe it was due to his loud mouth and his tendency to say hurtful things without realising, or maybe it was the way Clyde worshipped Merle, rather than Shane. Either way, being stuck alone with Shane was awkward.

"Is it because of the way he acts with the group, thinking he's group leader?"

"It's none of your damn business."

"I'm guessing he insulted Merle by calling him a crack head? I'm not saying Merle is a crackhead, Merle's pretty awesome."

"I'm gonna stop you right there. Don't you talk shit about my brother like that, you lil'

ass kisser." Daryl turned around in a fast motion, moving his hand towards his face as he spoke towards Clyde.

Clyde averted his eyes quickly to the floor which was covered in brown leaves already beginning to decompose.

Heck, was it autumn already? That means it's been nearly three months since the entire thing happened with the corpses walking around, killing the remaining living that the entire world has left.

"You hear me?" Daryl tried to keep his voice down, you could tell but it wasn't that effective, he was still loud enough to make a flock of birds fly for their lives.

"Hm, yeah I heard you. I heard you perfectly fine." Clyde shifted his eyesight back to Daryl then to a moving figure behind him. Wait. A figure?! "Uhm, Daryl, I think you better look behind you.."

Daryl turned around speedy, sending his left hand to his pocket; withdrawing his hunting knife and getting ready to strike at any moment, only to be disappointed.

"There ain't no friggin' walkers! You're seeing shit." Daryl lowered his knife to his side, turning around only to be grabbed by Clyde on the arm.

"Yeah, I'm seeing stuff." Clyde began to point at what now was revealed to be a deer in the distance, eating the decomposed leaves that lay on the muddy flooring of the woods.

"Looks like you're having food tonight after all, Daryl."

"Don't touch me." Daryl lowered his voice whilst pulling away from Clyde as quickly as possible and slowly began to move closer towards the deer whilst pulling back the wire that shot the arrow when triggered.

"I think you should shoot it in the head, it'll kill it instantly." Clydes natural instinct was to whisper whilst talking to Daryl whilst he was getting ready to aim at the deer, the thought of him speaking too loud and an arrow entering his backside.. He didn't want that.

"When did you turn into an expert all of a sudden?" Daryl shuffled himself in to a crouching position, slowly moving along the woods flooring until he thought he was close enough to the deer to shoot it.

"Well, Merle said-" His words were cut short by the sound of Daryl's crossbow shooting at the deer, entering it's hind leg rather than it's stomach.

"You see what you made me do! You made me miss the shot!" Daryl turned around his hand waving around in the air as he yelled at Clyde.

"But Daryl, surely the impact of the arrow entering the leg would shatter the bone making it slower to walk.. You could just go up to it whilst it's alive, chase it to the camp then kill it whilst we're outside of the camp and then you've got the meat. No problem." Clyde began to slowly back away from Daryl's fit of rage.

"That would work, if only the deer wouldn't have already gotten up and left!"

"Oh alright then, how about you use your amazing tracker skills and track it down whilst I go see how the groups doing.. Andrea and merle should be back by now and you can fend for yourself, you don't need me right, D-Daryl?" Clyde couldn't help but send his hand to the back of his neck, ruffling the strands of hair that's been growing over the last three months or so.

"Run away like the rest of everyone in the group." Daryl's hand which contained the knife had moved from his side to in the air, hovering like a damn gnat. Clyde's first instinct was to flinch as Daryl's hand that contained the bladed weapon was hurtling towards him. "If you're going back, you're gon' need to defend yourself incase you run in to a-"

"Incase I run into a geek, yeah I know and thanks I promise I'll try not to get a scratch on it." Clyde took a grip of Daryl's weapon, raising it to his eye height and began to look at the carvings embedded on to the knife. "You better not get any scratches on it, otherwise it'll be your blood next on the knife. " Clyde gulped, before turning around and heading back to the camp.

"Woah, I have Daryl's knife, Daryl fucking Dixon's knife." Clyde whispered to himself whilst walking towards the camp, twisting and turning the knife whilst admiring everything that's stained it.

Clyde smirked towards himself, following the small path that lead towards the small dirty camp where the group took place.

If any walker tried to stop him from getting to the camp, he was going to be ruthless; just like _Merle_..

* * *

><p><em>The flames flickered lowly, as orders from Shane. If the flames were low, they would be unseen. It was better to play it safe, than what it was to risk it all just for the sake of being warm. Besides, Clyde was content with the jacket on his shoulders. Truth be told, he wanted to remove the jacket from his shoulders. Merely to be like the two men sitting opposite him. <em>

_Chewing on a squirrel leg, totally ignoring everyone around him, Merle sat. Hunched back, feet crossed out in front of him. Beside him was Daryl, chewing on a cocktail stick. Where he got that, Clyde didn't want to know. It was probably from the RV, but he highly doubted that. These two rednecks refused to openly accept anything from anyone in the group. Even more so from the old man who owned the RV. Just because they were somewhat living together in the group, it didn't mean they had to like one another. _

_Honestly, Clyde seemed to be the only one these two would tolerate being around them. Sitting with them, even. Daryl tried to tolerate him, where as Merle didn't seem to care all too much. If anything, Clyde would go as far as saying it was a possibility that Merle maybe even liked him. _

_He hoped so. Merle was sorta cool in Clyde's eyes. Despite what his father said, or the reluctance his mother gave when he announced he was going to be around them. Who cared if they weren't particularly the most 'normal' type of people. At the end of the day, there was no difference anymore. They were all people stuck in the same situation, and trying to survive. These two obviously knew what they were doing, and could protect themselves. So, naturally, Clyde wanted to be like them. More so Merle, but that was mainly because he was the ringleader over his younger brother. _

_Not a sound was made, other than the quiet chatter coming from the other group; and Merle's suckling on the squirrel's leg. As if by habit, Clyde's hand slid to the back of his neck and scratched at the hairline. His head turning to peek a glance over at the group his mother and father were sitting at. Shane was talking, beside him was Lori and Carl. The others too, but none of them where who his eyes searched for. Locating Andrea was easy, and once that task was taken care of; he was quick to spot Amy at her side. Legs brought up to her chest, her chin resting on her knees and her arms wrapped around them protectively. _

_"You wanna go sit with 'em, buddy?" _

_Clyde's head snapped around to land on Merle. His eyebrow was arched as he tossed the bone into the fire. He watched as small embers drifted up at the sudden impact, but nothing too big that would gain him a warning from Shane. He dropped his hand from his neck, and he smiled sheepishly. "What?" _

_"S'the seventh time you've looked over there. You missin' your mommy?" Merle chuckled, harsh yet jokingly. _

_"No, I uh... Was just looking to see if they were there." _

_"Bullshit," Daryl quipped in, now seemingly found his voice and interest in the matter of him being there. "Not just lookin' at anyone are 'ya kid?" _

_Clyde instantly felt his cheeks begin to brighten. He hoped that the orange light from flames was enough to hide it. _

_"I have no idea what you're talking about." Clyde lied. _

_"Again, bullshit. I've seen the way you look at that girl," Daryl smirked, his forefinger and thumb taking the cocktail stick from his lips._

_"Ah, the kid's got his eye on some tail." Merle sat forward; his eyes flickering due to the dim flames. "What one, hm?" _

_Clyde fell silent._

_"We're all buddies here ain't that right, baby brother." Merle turned his head to Daryl, gently landing his hand on Daryl's shoulder; tapping it three times before removing it._

_Daryl replied with a grunt as he began to roll the cocktail stick back and forth between his fingers._

_"I'm not doing anything, just checking to see if Carl and Sophia are alright." Clyde replied rather sheepishly as he faked a smile towards the two brothers._

_"Is that so?" Merle let out a chuckle whilst moving his left hand to his face, placing it under his chin._

_"Well, yeah. They're the last remaining children this world has got, we rely on them to repopulate our species."_

_"They went to the tents around maybe an hour or so ago." Daryl's smirk would grow as he pointed out the obvious towards Clyde, making his face drop in embarrassment,_

_Clyde felt his cheeks flush with redness as Merle began to laugh towards Clyde's mistake._

_"It's the young blonde, Amelia?" Daryl lowered his voice so only the three of them could hear what they were discussing._

_"It's Amy, her name's Amy." Clyde averted his eyes to the floor as he began to play with the stones that took residence in the ground._

_"I knew it, I fucking knew it. What did I tell you Daryl, I knew they two would end up getting too close to one another." Merle turned his head to Daryl, a large grin on his face._

_"You know kid, the best way to keep a girl forever is to get her pregnant." _

_"Dude, What the fuck?! That's disgusting, I'm only fourteen." Clyde frowned at Merle in disgust, only to make Daryl chuckle a little._

_"If I've heard correctly, your fifteen in maybe what six months?" Daryl spoke up once again, still chewing the cocktail stick._

_"Well, yeah b-" His words cut short from Merle interrupting, his face getting more and more flushed with redness until he eventually looked like a tomato._

_"But nothin', get the girl pregnant and you've got a woman right there." _

_"She's only seventeen, jesus christ Merle."_

_"Age ain't nothin'." Daryl leaned forward in his chair, his left hand moving towards his lip; removing the cocktail stick once again. "Is she over twelve?" Daryl looked Clyde firmly in the eye, not breaking the stare._

_"Y-yes, she is." Clyde averted his eyes back to the pebbles that took residence in the dirt where the fire was._

_"Clyde." His moms soft voice whispered towards Clyde from the other group that sat quietly huddled together as the flames had gotten smaller from when Clyde last checked. _

_"What is it mom?" Clyde turned his head towards his mom's, faking a smile as he spoke towards her, out of all the people that took residence in this so called 'group' his mom terrified him the most. If he even so disobeyed his mother he feared she would turn into a mega demon that could spit out fire and turn people into stone just by a simple glare of the eye, which took residence in the very depths of hell, he was truly terrified of his mothers bad side and tried everything to please her._

_"Come on sweetie, it's time to go to the tents." She returned a warm smile towards Clyde as she removed herself from the log that was in front of the flames that were barely even noticeable by now. "You can sit with your friends tomorrow, kay?"_

_Merle and Daryl let out a snort of laughter only to be hushed by Shane, who was cleaning his shotgun with a dirty, torn rag._

_Clyde sighed, removing himself from the small group of two males and the fire that warmed him in this dreadful world. Ever since the power went out during the start of this entire 'bullshit' as Merle liked to call it, fire was the only thing that managed to warm the camp, now that the central heating in the houses had gone along with clean water. _

_Clyde glided towards the group where his mother took place, still chatting away with Lori and Carol. Clyde stood behind his mom as she continued to talk to the two women who seemed like they were enjoying themselves, how they could enjoy themselves in this sort of world, Clyde didn't know._

_Clyde's eyes couldn't help but flicker towards Amy who sat beside Andrea, her legs still at her chest laughing away at her sister. Amy must have noticed Clyde staring at her in awe as her attention moved towards to Clyde within a matter of seconds, her slim pink lips grinning at him as he continued to stare._

_Clyde returned a smile before averting his eyes towards the ground with excitement._

_She smiled at me, she actually smiled at me. What if she thinks I'm a total creep?!_

_Clyde's thoughts couldn't but help swarm his head with negativity that caused him to sweat. "Um, Mom, can we go now?" Clyde whispered sheepishly, placing his sweaty left hand on his mom's bare shoulder._

_Clyde removed his sweaty hand off his mom's shoulder, placing it on his left eye; rubbing it as he yawned. As Clyde yawned, his mother said her goodbyes to Lori and Carol before taking off towards the tent's where Clyde and his family took residence._

* * *

><p>Clyde entered the small area of the camp where his 'group' took place, the thick smell of dirt and sweat lingering in the air was so repulsing it could make you sick, although this repulsing stench gave Clyde a sense of relief; that the very littlest of things in the world stayed the same. You know, except from the dead bodies rising up and feasting on the living, wiping out all of humanity leaving only a few amount of survivors left in the entire world, other than that everything was rarely the same.<p>

His eyes quickly moved to the thin line of string that stood in his way, barricading him in the forest. As if by magic, this thin line of string that was soaked in dark red blood still managed to withhold three items of clothing; all drenched in water.

He rested his index finger on the string where the blood marks seemed to be the covering the most."These clothing ain't gonna smell any better." Clyde couldn't help but have the feeling of disgust as he looked at the stained piece of string that barely held the three clothing that just hung there.

Moving his finger up and down on the blood stained washing line, the thin line clearly not able to take the extra weight of his index finger jumping the clothing up and down on it, snapping and plummeting the clothing down to the dirt.

_Oh crap, Im so dead if my mom finds out.. Wait, mom. _

Clyde dashed away from the destruction he had just caused, looking for his mom in the campsite, who should be with Carol and Lori.

It only took a few seconds for Clyde to appear right next to his mom, panting away furiously.

"Clyde, where have you been?" His mother looked at him, obviously unimpressed at the fact he was panting away like a stray dog.

"I-I've been sewing?" Clyde looked towards his mother as his hand raised to the back of his neck; rubbing away at his hairline.

"With who, mister?"

"With, with my best buddy Carl of course!"

"Carl doesn't sew, I don't even let him near the needles." Lori piped up, staring at Clyde trying to hold back a smirk.

"Well, he does now!"

"For gods sakes, who broke this line?!" Shane's voice bellowed from the distance. They all knew this voice. It was one he used quite often when he was A; in a mood, or B; in a huge mood.

Clyde wasn't sure which one it was exactly, but either way; he wasn't planning on sticking around to find out.

"Well, I'm gonna go finish my sewing now," he sheepishly laughed nervously and sidestepped around the ladies.

His great escape plan might've worked, if it wasn't for his mother's hand clasping around his shoulder and pulling him back to her side.

"Not so fast, mister." She sighed, her usual impassive face now turning a little exasperated. "What did you do wrong now?"

He was busted now, he could feel the sweat pouring down from his neck.

"Nothing, dear mother of mine." He chirped towards his mother, with an innocent tone to his usual mischievous voice.

Shane stomped towards the center of the camp, his left hand holding a pile of dirty old wet clothing and his right holding a line of string that's clearly broken.

Clyde gulped, he knew he was good as dead now. Luckily as Shane started to bellow nonsense, Carl ran up to Lori and sat beside her.

"Who done it?! Pipe up now!"

Without hesitation, Clyde opened his mouth and let words form out.

"Carl done it!"

"Wha-" Carl looked up to Clyde, his eyebrows arched in confusion. " I never done anything, I've been with Sophia this full time."

"Hey Carl, remember that game where you take the blame for everything I do, lets play that game now." Clyde whispered this to Carl, hoping that his mother or Lori never noticed anything.

Carol must have heard this, as she let out a small chuckle whilst staring at the same direction that his mother and Lori were staring at, the direction of Shane.

"But I never did anything." Carl answered back, his tone of voice harsher than it was normally.

"You did now, buddo." Clyde cocked his head toward Carl, his eyes more widened then normal. "After all, you're my brother. Thus, you should take the blame.."

Shane stopped his hissy fit before storming off and entering Dales trailer and causing havoc.

His mother turned around, her arms folded firmly across her chest and her eyes widened.

"You're grounded."

"Wait, what?" Clyde opened his mouth in surprise. " Carl done it, I was sewing."

"I never done anything!" Carl raised his voice, his mother petting him as though he was a chihuahua. "I swear on my life."

Clyde's mother laughed a little before turning her head to Carl. "You don't have to swear on your life, I know it was my misfit of a son."

"Geez, thanks mom. Words hurt, you should be more considerate next time."

"I will, and now you're grounded even longer."

"Oh what you gonna do, take my wii console off me?" Clyde folded his arms across his chest, his eyes staring straight into his mothers eyes.

"Why don't you make him sit with us for dinner, thus no sitting next to Merle and Daryl."

Amy piped up from across the camp, it stunned Clyde that she was tuning in to his and his mothers conversation as though it was a radio talk show.

"Thanks Amy, thats a good idea." Clyde's mom smiled towards Amy before turning to look at Clyde. "No sitting with Merle and Daryl for one week."

Clyde dropped his hands to his sides "Mom, She ain't even a mom so she doesn't have an opinion." Clyde lifted his hand and pointed towards Amy who was standing across from where everyone was.

"I don't need to be a mom to have an opinion and anyway, I'm mature enough to look after myself, can't say the same thing about you.." Amy arched her eyebrows at Clyde, her hands wielding what looked like a fish.

"Yeah, that's why you wail every time your sister goes out to get us supplies.."

"Thats not fair, you know theres walkers out there!"

"But still, she knows more about surviving then you do, sweet cheeks."

"Clyde, that was uncalled for. Now go get your dad and tell him about your punishment and see if he's got anything to add to it."

Clyde rolled his eyes before sidestepping away from his mother and trailing around where the group was sat.

"Thanks alot, _Carl."_


End file.
